Darth Vader and Pinoy rockers at John Williams tribute show

It's one thing to listen to a live concert of John Williams' film scores. But when film characters appear in it, the experience is taken to a whole new level.

On Sunday, Sept. 2, the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra paid tribute to the multi-award-winning composer through a live concert entitled “The Magic of John Williams,” held at the Meralco Theater.

The orchestra, led by conductor Gerard Salonga, performed themes from some of Williams' more familiar work: from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Fanfare, to the themes from “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” “E.T.”, “Harry Potter,” “Jaws,” “Superman,” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

Jose Mari Chan and Nikki Gil

Salonga and the orchestra also performed the Williams-penned theme for NBC News, “The Mission.” According to Salonga, the piece was the peg given to him for the creation of the music for TV5's Aksyon TV.

“It made sense to perform it here,” Salonga added.

Special guests Jose Mari Chan and Nikki Gil joined Salonga and company for a beautiful rendition of “If We Were in Love” (from the 1982 film, “Yes Giorgio” starring Luciano Pavarotti). Gil also returned for the tender number “Can You Read My Mind” from the “Superman: The Movie” soundtrack.

Stormtroopers on stage

No John Williams tribute will be complete without the Star Wars suite, and that's what Salonga and the ABS-CBN Philharmonic did. The “Stars Wars Main Title” gained a standing ovation from the audience, prompting Salonga to laugh and say, “Hindi pa tapos!”

After performing “Leia's Theme” and the “Imperial March,” Salonga introduced the surprise of the evening: members of the Philippine outpost of international Star Wars costuming group, the 501st Legion, accompanied by some members of its sister group the Rebel Legion.

As stormtroopers, Darth Vader, Jedi, and even the Star Wars droids C3PO and R2D2 paraded, the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra proceeded to the encore, “ The Throne Room” from “Star Wars Episode IV.”

Rockers, represent

Former Sponge Cola drummer Chris Cantada, who is also part of the 501st Legion, was asked by Salonga to join the orchestra, on bass drum. A stormtrooper with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra is a sight one does not normally see in such events.

At the very end of the show, Salonga could not help but hug Darth Vader as the audience gave a standing ovation.

Personalities spotted in the audience included maestro Ryan Cayabyab and his family, film director Marie Jamora, Buddy Zabala of The Dawn/Eraserheads, and Cinemalaya film score winners Mikey Amistoso (also of the band Ciudad) and Jazz Nicolas (also of the Itchyworms!).

Adrian Arcega | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

The Wanted’s fearless bid for world domination

On the eve of their Philippine concert on Sept. 14 at the NBC Tent in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, U.K. boy band The Wanted, has released an EP for local distribution featuring the hits and hot singles drawn from the group’s first two albums.

In 2010, the group, composed of Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik, came out with their debut album “All Time Low.” The title track from that debut hit number 1 in the U.K. The follow-up album “Battleground” was released a year later containing another number 1 hit, “Glad you Came.”

So how does the self-titled sampler EP fare?

ACTIVE TUNES. It’s convenient to compare The Wanted with the last wave of 90s boy bands like Backstreet Boys, Take That! and ‘N Sync. But this EP shows the distinct differences.

“Glad You Came” starts the album on a minor key then charges into triumphant dub-step. The performance bids at an epic dance track displaying the fearless form of a young band going seriously for the Big Time.

“Chasing The Sun” is even better, a sing-along raver with infectious hooks and an insistent bassline that will have toes tapping at home and butts shaking in clubs, Straddling a slew of pop and dance micro-genres, it’s the most appealing ear candy in the entire collection.

“All-Time Low” is a minor epiphany shuttling between atmospheric Coldplay territory and euphoric disco. It’s also the group’s first attempt at a pop blockbuster that appeals to a mainstream audience, a curious triumph in an age of fragmented indie-inclined tastes. Hats off to the boys in the band.

“Lightning” and “Rocket” are more traditional R&B-flavored dance numbers that recall the best years of old school boy bands.

FLAT LINER. In a compilation of overwhelming dance-y tracks, “Heart Vacancy” is a bit of a slow moving violation, a love ballad with a sing-songy delivery. It does not climax to any pretty hook or even a lyrical clincher. Unless you look at it as a breather in between hot, hot numbers.

THE WRAP-UP. Despite being a hodge-podge of tracks from albums produced at different times, the EP focuses on the musical strengths of the group and provides the proper launching pad for some longed-for global domination.

Do they have the winning moves to back up their conquering tunes?

We’ll know for sure on Sept. 14 when the lads play the NBC Tent in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Tony Maghirang | Yahoo! Special Projects

Child star Mona Louise Rey gets new starring role

After her stint as the young “Blanca” in GMA Telebabad’s “Luna Blanca,” Mona Louise Rey is back in a starring role with “Aso ni San Roque” that premieres on September 10.

In the new drama, she is the blind girl Fatima. “Aso ni San Roque” will give Mona the opportunity to work with veteran actors and actresses such as Pen Medina, Nova Villa, Gardo Versoza and Buboy Garovillo, as well as other Kapuso stars Angelika dela Cruz, TJ Trinidad, Paolo Contis, LJ Reyes, Gwen Zamora and Rich Asuncion.

No competition

And while it looks like she won another starring role before “Luna Blanca” co-star Jillian Ward, Mona denies any competition between them.

“Hindi naman po porke’t naunahan ko siya magkaron ng show parang iniisip ko mas mataas po ako sa kanya. Hindi po,” the eight-year-old Bahraini-Pinay shared at the show’s grand press conference at the GMA Annex last September 3.

“Ang iniisip ko po, lahat po kami pantay- pantay. Walang mataas, walang mababa,” Mona said with the kind of conviction adults can look up to.

Being an actress

With the same conviction, Mona shares that she’s in it for the long haul and that she’s willing to go beyond being “mabait at mahirap.”

“Kahit ano po ibigay nila. Siyempre po gusto. Diba po lahat naman ng artista gusto makasubok ng iba-iba (roles)” she said adding that when she grows up, she wants to be and actress and a singer.

Fighting juvenile diabetes

Mona also stands out among other child stars because she has to deal with Type 1 diabetes since she was seven. She has to have insulin shots every day and avoid a lot of food to keep her healthy.

“Gusto niyo po ba malaman kung ilan ‘yung (blood) sugar (level) ko nung nalaman nila? Wag kayo magugulat,” she asked members of the media.

She said “658,” when the level to consider an adult to have established diabetes is at around 200 or less. Now she shares she’s down to 100-200mg/dl.

While insulin will not cure her, Mona doesn’t look at her illness as a hurdle.

“Tanggap ko naman po, hindi po namin pwedeng kwestyonin si Lord.”

Jozza Palaganas | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

8 fun facts to prep you for Keane live in Manila

To prep you for the live concert of the U.K. band Keane on October 2 at Smart Araneta Coliseum, here’s a few fun facts about them.

1. Keane recently became one of three bands in pop history to have five consecutive Number 1 albums on the U.K. charts, with “Strangeland” released in May 2012. They tie with Radiohead and Coldplay, and are beaten only by The Beatles.

2. Coldplay was actually the name Keane co-founder, composer and pianist Tim Rice-Oxley originally thought of for the band. But Rice-Oxley thought the name as “too depressing.” So he gave the name to this guy he met in college who was then in a band called Starfish. The guy was Chris Martin.

3. While Keane’s music is often compared to Coldplay’s, Rice-Oxley once said in an interview that to someone who’s never heard the band before, he’d describe their music, thusly: “I would say to expect something very melodic and very English. I think our nearest touchstones are The Smiths, then people like the Pet Shop Boys and U2, and earlier writers like Paul Simon and David Bowie, and even the American songwriters like Irving Berlin. We're also influenced by a lot of more electronic stuff like Depeche Mode and the Chemical Brothers. I would also tell people to expect unashamedly honest and personal lyrics.”

4. All that came to mainstream fruition with Keane’s 2004 debut album, “Hopes and Fears,” which garnered multiple awards and sold over five million copies.

5. Keane’s biggest hits include “Everybody’s Changing” and “Somewhere Only We Know.”

6.“Strangeland” is Keane’s fourth studio album, after “Hopes & Fears” (2004), “Under The Iron Sea” (2006), “Perfect Symmetry” (2008) and the “Night Train” EP (2010).

7. Of their latest album, “Strangeland,” U.K.’s Sunday Times said it “pull[ed] the heartstrings with a strength that even a band as notoriously emotive as Keane have rarely managed before.”

8. Said Keane frontman Tom Chaplin: “Our bloody-mindedness and desire to keep on changing as a band seems to have kept us alive, as well as our incredibly loyal and dedicated set of fans—thanks to everyone who has supported us! We hope to see lots of you out on the road over the next year, after which I guess we'll get back in the studio to try to make it six in a row!”

Catch Keane’s Strangeland World Tour in Manila on October 2 at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Tickets are available at www.smtickets.com or call 470-2222. For sponsorship please call 415-35555.

Yahoo! OMG! Staff | Yahoo! Special Projects

LJ Reyes a hands-on mom

LJ Reyes is enjoying every minute of motherhood.

“I’m a very hands-on mom. I think I’m very loving naman tsaka… kalaro niya (referring to her two-year-old son Ethan Akio) rin ako, ganyan, since bata pa naman ako. So, ganun, para lang kaming magkapatid,” she said at the grand press conference of GMA’s new telefantasya “Ang Aso ni San Roque” at the GMA Annex Studio 7 on September 3.

The new series marks another busy period for her. But LJ points out that she will also find time for her son and Paulo Avelino, her boyfriend and the father of her child.

“Minsan kahit sa biyahe na lang ako matulog. Basta kapag umuwi ako at gising siya (Ethan), pinipilit ko talagang magising. Pero pag talagang hindi ko na kaya, sinasabi ko ‘five minutes.’”

Playful toddler

The Kapuso star also shared her delight over her toddler’s personality.

“Sobrang playful po. Medyo bully nga po, loko-loko po kasi,” she says laughing a bit. “Maharot—'yun yung term. Talagang maharot po, talagang malaro. Kasi ako po, as a kid, when I was his age, ganun din ako, sobrang malikot.”

Paulo, she relates, is a hands-on dad despite his busy schedule.

“Nakikipaglaro din siya, ganyan. Tapos ‘pag—ganito kasimple—‘pag check-up, tinatanong niya kung anong nangyari sa check-up, ganyan.”

LJ admitted the challenge of it all is feeling guilty for not spending all her time with her son because of work.

“Pero siyempre, iba na po kasi talaga ang panahon ngayon. Siyempre nako-compensate naman ng ibang bagay 'yun. As (long) as 'yung binibigay mong time for him ay quality, I think wala naman siyang magiging reklamo. Sabi nga naming ng mga kapatid ko, basta iparamdam mo sa bata na mahal siya, walang magiging problema.”

Does she want her son to be in showbiz too, like mommy and daddy?

“Well feeling ko, showbiz 'yung anak ko. Kasi ‘pag nakakakita siya ng stage, umaakyat talaga siya ng stage. Pero, hindi po siguro. Paglaki niya at nakakapagdecide na siya nang mag-isa, siguro pwede… mag-aral muna siya, as much as possible.”

Jozza Palaganas | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

Robi Domingo keeps mum about personal life

Actor-TV host Robi Domingo used to be vocal about having a crush on Ateneo volleyball player Gretchen Ho. But now he has become tight-lipped about her.

“I don’t want to make it public yet, if ever. I would like to keep it private as much as possible,” Robi told Yahoo! Philippines OMG and other members of the press at the 6th Star Magic Ball on Saturday, Sept. 1.

Robi admitted he has a crush on Gretchen when he guested on “Kris TV” last June. He is always there to support her when she has a volleyball game.

Trending topic

Robi’s revelation earned him a lot of good feedback from fans. Robi and Gretchen’s names trended many times on Twitter whenever he’d mention her name in a show.

“Thank you. I’m happy as well. I don’t know about these things, but hearing it from you guys, thank you for the good feedback,” he said.

Is he ready to enter into a relationship?

“It depends on the situation. Situation ha, not with her,” Robi replied.

Robi went stag at the Star Magic Ball since he was busy hosting segments for “ASAP Rocks.”

“I think it’s kinda disrespectful to my date if I’ll not be able to entertain her at the same time. Kasi if ever I bring a date, I want 100% full attention,” he explained.

Up next for the “Pinoy Big Brother” host is another reality show ,“I Dare You.” While Robi admits he still gets nervous when hosting a show, many people agree he has improved on the job. They also observe that he has a natural eloquence.

Robi thanks his co-hosts for guiding him.

“I think I owe everything to Direk Lauren (Dyogi) , to MYX, Toni (Gonzaga), to Bianca (Gonzalez) and John Prats. They’re my major influences. Plus, to top it all off, Luis Manzano. So, I get all of my inspiration, my segue ways, my type of thinking from them.”

Karen Valeza | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

Parokya Ni Edgar 'more drunk' in ‘Inuman Sessions Vol. 2’

The six-man gang of Parokya Ni Edgar, perhaps the most intact among mainstream Pinoy rock acts, recently launched its second volume of "Inuman Sessions," a live recording album of specially staged performances.

"Mas lasing kami dito kasi nung ‘Volume 1,’ beer ang iniinom namin; this time, hard. So mas nakakalasing," admitted bass player Buwi Meneses in a chat with Yahoo! Philippines OMG!

That’s evident in the small but telling message at the back of the CD: "Wala nang iwawasak pa."

Drunken masters of Pinoy Rock

The album’s higher intoxication levels appear to have been triggered too by guest performances from Kamikazee, Yeng Constantino, Gloc-9, Miggy Chavez of Chicosci and Frank Magalona, son of the late Francis M. Tanduay was also said to have provided the drinks, thus, hard liquor came flowing freely for the 'middle-aged' boys while performing.

“Nung first volume we're having beer and siyempre may halong yelo pa yun kaya nung latter part ng show medyo lasang tubig na yung naiinom namin," Buwi said, stretching his metaphors (or not).

Parokya Ni Edgar has a reputation for being grounded musicians willing to do anything for the fun of it. They’ve cross-dressed in album sleeve photos and donned fake mustaches.

Wackiness

The first “Inuman Sessions” released in 2004, was another representation of their wackiness.

The message in the first volume was straightforward: "Nakainom lang." In their individual thank yous for that album, Buwi, popular for his “seriously funny” demeanor, simply quipped, "No thanks."

Asked if they tried recording a studio album while drunk, the bassist said, "No, we ‘don't do that kasi it might ruin the track, unlike dito sa 'Inuman Sessions’ na okay lang na sumabit sa playing kasi alam naman ng listeners na nakainom kami."

Among the inebriated versions in “Vol. 2” are "Mang Jose", "Tatlong Araw," "Papa Cologne," "Gitara," "Para Sayo" and "The Yes Yes Show."

20 years of togetherness in 2013

As for the secret behind the group's longevity—20 years next year—lead vocalist Chito Miranda said, "We're not having those conflict kasi di namin sineseryoso ang mga bagay. We're not musicians. We don't have much knowledge of what we're doing so we're just having fun as friends."

Parokya ni Edgar has produced such classics as "Buloy", "Halaga," "Harana," "Maniwala Ka Sana," "Silvertoes" and "Mr. Suave.”

"Inuman Sessions Vol. 2" is released by Universal Records.

Yugel Losorata | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom